#Drybulk Thread: 1) Drybulk is currently showing signs of a beautiful generational setup. With macro volatility increasing rapidly, there is no saying where equities might trade in the next couple of weeks, but this is the time to be prepared.
2) Before I lay out the bull case I think it's worth looking back at 2020-2022. I would argue this whole period should be written off as a "one off."
2020 was the beginning of COVID. World shut down. Rates went to zero in Feb and Mar.
3) 2021 everything turned. Congestion and covid inefficiencies reduced supply substantially and rates 🚀.
2022 was the "Chinese lockdown" combined with a crash in Chinese real estate and Vale declining production. So lets look at 2019...This was when the real recovery started.
4)
After 7-8 horrible years in drybulk Q3 2019 was the turning point. Q3-Q4 2019 saw Capesize rates around 25k.
I would argue we are at the cusp of another turning point, or maybe rather, a continuation of what had already started in 2019.
5) Still, lots have happened since 2019:
- Inflation.
- EEXI and other regulations.
- Yard slots taken by container (and soon tankers....)
-Capesize orderbook has gone from 15% in 2019 to 6% today.
- Avg age of the Capesize fleet has gone from 7.5yrs in 2019 to 10yrs today.
6) Chinese real estate is showing signs of recovery.
Even after a few busy days, the VLCC TD3 FFA curve is still at depressed levels.
Spot rates (non-scrubber): $0/d
Q4: $12k/d
Cal 22 $16k/d
Cal 23 $24k/d
"There are too many ships and not enough cargo"
$FRO $DHT #Tankergang
2/
If you look at the current state of the market, this might be true, but shipping is all about optionality.
Bull markets are more often than not triggered by an event. Once it's over, all the analyst, traders and brokers will say: " The rally was due to a one-off event"
3/ What they fail to see is that "one-off" events are a part of the market. Future unknown "one-off" events is the same as optionality!
The specific situation might be a "one-off", but the fact that situations occur which affect markets is anything but a "one-off".
1/8 As we move closer to EEXI and other regulations we will see different narratives emerge. Many think non-eco ships will be useless overnight.
So what are the risks when buying a non-eco 2010 blt Kamsarmax today?
Let's take a look at the fleet in more depth.
The total number of Capesize+ vessels in the world is 1860.
177 are built 2005 or older. = 9.5% of the fleet.
1124 are built before 2013 = 60% of the fleet.
After 2013 we saw improved energy efficiency and they are often referred to as Eco.
3/8 Panamax/Kamsarmax:
The totalt number of Panamax/Kamsarmax vessels in the world is 2855.
626 are built 2005 or older = 22% of the fleet
1727 are built before 2013 = 60% of the fleet
Every commodity bull is wrestling with the same question at this moment: I'm seeing the best set up for a mega cycle in my life time, but I also see financial bubbles everywhere.
2/ Do I need to wait for a crash in markets before I go in or will I be late? Will markets rotate into cyclical or will my portfolio get wrecked when the hubris in ESG, tech and NFTs comes to an end?
3/
"History doesn't repeat it rhymes "- said so many times it has become a cliche.
We all look back at the internett bubble of the late 90's /early 20's. A tech boom followed by a crash in equities and eventually the beginning of a commodity mega cycle ending in 2008.
1/
I know I spam twitter with bullish tweets about #drybulk. There's a reason why I'm pounding table on this one. This might be the only(!) chance you will get in your life time to participate in a mega cycle. Remember, it's 18 years since the last one started.
2/ Let's start with the demand side.
There's two drivers of demand. Demand for the commodity and supply of the commodity. Infinite demand for iron ore doesn't help if there's no supply to put on ships. But they are connected. ---
3/ Increased demand for the commodity leads to higher prices, incentivising increased production.
Will soybean producers be likely to increase production and shipments going forward?